"Hey ma did you ever regret quitting your job to look after me?"
Arthit's mother looked up from her cutting board 'Why? Did Kongpob say something.'
'Huh, no I was just thinking.'
'You know you can tell me anything right.'
Arthur looked at his mother and remembered the time when he always went to her for advice before doing anything. He always asked her before his father. It wasn't that he was closer to his mother it was just the way it was.
Arthit kept shredding the leafy vegetable in his hand and couldn't look up.
'Spit it out, and stop ruining my basil.'
He never could hide things from his mother for long, it didn't help that his face is a mirror for all his myriad emotions.
'Lek had an accident a week ago.' he whispered.
He waited for his mom's reaction but all she did was put the knife down and look at him, but Arthit couldn't meet her eye for long and started shredding the basil again.
'It's not your fault, kids get hurt all the time. You think you grew up without falling and getting hurt.'
Arthit knew his mother said it to make him feel better but her saying this made him feel more guilty and he started decimating the basil.
His mom stayed his hand by placing her hand over his and forced him to look at her and asked, 'what happened?'
After heaving a big sigh, 'the nanny went to kitchen to prepare Lek's food and left him to play in the living room, she doesn't know how he hurt himself but she found him crying near the centre table. She called us but I was in a meeting and Kongpob was in the factory so we didn't get to know till evening. Thankfully the nanny had the sense to take him to the hospital and they said he was fine, but it could have been worse. We weren't there and I didn't know.'
His mom came around the island and hugged him and he buried himself in her stomach and felt young again trying to hide behind his mom when he got hurt or was about to be punished by his father.
Arthit's mom understood his feelings all too well and tried to calm him down by stroking his back.
'Kids learn by falling down, only adults fear falling down. All parents blame themselves when anything bad happens to their kids even when its not their fault and they can't do anything to stop it. Its all new to you, you will learn.'
Arthit mumbled something into his mom's stomach and his mother pulled him back and wiped the snot off his face and asked, 'what?'
'Kongpob and I fought. He wants me to quit my job and take care of Lek. He can't quit because its his father's company. I love my son but I don't want to quit either. I don't know what to do.'
'Now I can't help you make that decision. This is something you need to decide on your own.'
'I can't, I don't know what to do. I'm so confused. What would you do?'he exclaimed.
She just looked at him and turned around and went back to the cutting board and after thinking, 'There wasn't much of a choice in my case, I told you there were complications when I had you, so I had taken a sabbatical when I was pregnant and after a while I just never went back. if you want an assurance that your child will never fall again, nobody can give you that. With or without you accidents are bound to happen. That is the way of growing. You fall and learn, despite my prayers and wishes.I just pray for the strength.'
His mom came around and hugged him again and said , 'You need to make a choice and nobody can do it for you. Not me, not your dad and definitely not Kongpob and whatever you decide won't make you a good or bad parent. We will always support you.'
And right then the back door opened and his 3 year old ran at him screaming, 'Papa, grandpa and I won against dad.' His husband and father trailing behind him with identical smiles of joy.
'Wow! how many goals?'
'3 goals,' he screamed, making everybody in the house laugh and cover their ears for fear of going deaf.
Arthit picked his son up and kissed him on his cheek. The taste of sweat forced him to make a grossed out faced, forcing a laugh out of his husband,and said 'Wow, tell me all about it but now go wash up for lunch with your dad.'
Kongpob stalked towards his husband. He knew Arthit hated when he was all sweaty and stinky but he couldn't help but tease him.
Arthit looked up just in time to see the smirk on his husbands face and got up and rushed behind his mother because he knew his evil junior loved to tease him.
His parents couldn't help but laugh with joy at their antics.
A/n: This is the first time I'm writing. Period. School essays and projects do not count :D.
